Mine
by ink-splatter
Summary: Ryoma realizes his feelings for sakuno and sakuno gave up on ryoma. ryoma confesses to sakuno, is it too late? read to find out


**A/N: **hurray!!! My first fic got two reviews! I got fired up by it and I was able to dish out another ryoma-sakuno fic! I hope you guys will love this one, reviews are always inspiring

**ink: **how come it's mushy again?

**splatter:** beats me…

**ink:** tell us if we should kill the author…

Disclaimer: i don't own anything in this lifetime. Prince of Tennis belongs to its creator, alas, it's not me (sniffs)

**MINE**

Echizen Ryoma has always been sure of the things that he wants in his life. Tennis is definitely his number one priority. Echizen Ryoma already has a neat plan on how he would proceed with his tennis career. He would conquer Japan and then the world. He would beat his father for sure and he would then truly obtain the title of the World's No.1 Tennis champion. That is why he wants to bang his head against the nearest wall-for, no matter how precise Echizen Ryoma is with his life plan- a certain braided girl seems to wriggle her way into his neat blueprint. Why? Oh why? He was perfectly fine the first four years that they've known each other. He was not affected whether she showed up for his practices and matches or not. But now, at the fifth year of their friendship, and yes, he was reluctant at first but then he had made a great effort to at least acknowledge her friendship, he gets irked whenever he fails to spot her amongst the crowd. Echizen Ryoma is terrified. He had never lost total control over his temper, not even when battling against almost inhuman opponents, or his father, but now he was certain he's edging close to the brink of insanity. Where could the braided-soft-spoken-clumsy girl be? It has been almost a week since he last saw her during the club practice.

"Ryoma-sama!!! O-hayou!!!" the voice of the braided girl's best friend grated on Ryoma's nerves. He tensed before turning around only to be majorly disappointed. _She_ is not with her.

"Hmnnn." Was all he managed to say.

"Ryoma-sama, is there anything wrong with you today? Are you feeling ill?" Tomoka worriedly inspected his face.

"Betsuni." He replied without the usual vigor. Crap, he feels it now, the deep sinking feeling he was desperately trying to bury deep within his stoic nature.

"Eh? You don't look fine at all! It looks like you are constipated or something." Tomoka commented without tact, "If Sakuno-chan could see you she'd probably worry herself out!"

Ryoma visibly stiffened when Tomoka mentioned Sakuno. Just where could she be?

"Oi!Oi! Tomo-chan! Nya! Ehhhhhhh……..where is Sakuno-chan? Neh?" Eiji, with his ever excited nature bounced on his feet as he greeted Tomoka.

"Eiji-sempai! It's good to see you! You're still as cool-looking as ever!" Tomoka commented, "You were asking about Sakuno-chan? Well, she's been too busy these past few days. I guess their club president is a slave driver! He's been asking too much from her ever since the preparations for the school festival started. Not to mention spending too much time alone with her in the process." She added laughing.

Ryoma lowered his cap to hide his face. Someone is taking advantage of _his_ Sakuno. Wait a moment, did he just thought about _his_ Sakuno? He suppressed a growl. Yes, there is no doubt about it now. Sakuno is _his_ and he is a very selfish person. The thought of another _male-person_ spending time with _his _Sakuno is enough to drive him mad. He stood rooted to his spot until Eiji-sempai nudged him back to consciousness.

"Hoi!Hoi! O-chibi! What's wrong with you? Nya!!!!! Oishi!!!!!!!! O-chibi is scary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Eiji run away from him screaming for his partner.

Ryoma is glowering from controlled rage, "Hey, Osakada, where is Ryuzaki's club room?" He half-hissed-half-growled.

"Eh? Ryo-ryoma-sama…." Tomoka stammered for she saw that Ryoma _looks_ scary, with his eyes hidden beneath his cap and his hand gripping his racket too tightly.

"Osakada, where?" Ryoma repeated with much force.

"A-ano, it is on the second floor of that building, room 214…Ryoma-sama!!" Tomoka blurted as Ryoma left her gaping with disbelief. "Could it be that Ryoma-sama is jealous?" she said out loud as if to convince herself.

Ryoma took the stairs three steps at a time and within six long jumps, he arrived at room 214, not even panting from his record breaking jumps. He can hear a male voice talking to Sakuno. "Sakuno-chan, you are so good with this! I can't believe you waited until your third year to join the art club. With your paintings on sale for the festival, I'm sure the club will be saved for next year! Thank you very much Sakuno-chan!" he heard Sakuno thanking the other guy politely for his praises. He tensed just outside the door as a thought dawned on him. Wait a minute. Did that guy just called Sakuno, Sakuno-chan? No other male in this planet is allowed to call her that! He tolerates it when his Seigaku-sempais call her that but then again he takes it out on them in the tennis court but no _other_ male can call _his _Sakuno, Sakuno-chan. He will not allow it. Before he could stop himself he opened the door with a loud bang.

"Let's go Ryuzaki." He declared, glaring daggers at the art club president.

"Eh? Ryoma-kun, what are you doing here?" Sakuno asked him, confusion plainly written on her face.

Ryoma refused to blush. He grabbed Sakuno by her arm and dragged her out of the room. "I said let's go." He repeated carefully controlling his urge to carry her off away from the other guy.

"Excuse me, Echizen-san, but Sakuno-chan still has many projects to finish." The art club president stopped Ryoma by touching his shoulder.

Ryoma stopped dragging Sakuno to face the other guy. He tilted his cap to look at him fully in the eyes. He slanted his feline eyes evilly and glared at his opponent for Sakuno's attention, "Let go. I'm taking her with me, whether you like it or not." He said dangerously. His opponent released him without further protests. He resumed dragging Sakuno.

"Eto, ano, Ryoma-kun, you're hurting me…" Sakuno said softly he barely heard what she said. It was only because he was too aware of her presence that he did. He stopped and reluctantly let her go. To his horror he saw he had bruised Sakuno by gripping her too hard.

"Ryu-Ryuzaki…I'm sorry" Ryoma said horrified that he had hurt the person he most wanted to protect. His hands were shaking when he felt it being steadied.

"It's okay. Is there something wrong? Do you need me for anything?" Sakuno asked him while she held his hands in her own. She had long outgrown her stuttering in his presence and had become more of a female best friend to him than anything else.

_Need? I'd die if you leave!_ Ryoma thought to himself but being the stoic, heartless boy that he had made himself believe he is, he just stood there pulling his cap down to cover his face.

"Ryoma-kun, I have a lot of things to do, so if you don't need me for anything…" before Sakuno could finish, Ryoma had kissed her and cut of her words. She stood frozen in his arms unable to comprehend what was happening to her.

Ryoma couldn't take it. He couldn't keep his feelings bottled up inside him any longer, he has to do something. He has to let her know. Against all his conscious wishes, he crushed Sakuno in a fierce hug and kissed her with all the love that he kept for her inside his own heart. Now he'd done it. Sakuno would hate him for as long as he lives, but he wouldn't regret doing it. If given another chance he would love to taste her lips again.

"Ryu-ryuzaki…iie..**Sakuno**. Daisuki des." He confessed bowing before her in apology for his actions. He was disappointed that Sakuno just stood frozen when he kissed her. He had expected her to respond, to kiss him back or if that was too much to hope for, she could at least hug him back. That would've been fine with him.

Sakuno was shocked. She had loved Ryoma ever since she saw him and has given up on him long ago. She had accepted the fact that she'll never be anything else to him but a friend. That is why she tried so hard to move on. Painting had helped her and gradually she tried to distance herself from him, to learn how to live her life without him in the picture. Then all of a sudden he confesses that he loves her? Ryuzaki Sakuno, the clumsy girl with hair too long for tennis? She couldn't believe what was happening that she begun to cry.

"I'm sorry Sakuno…Ryuzaki, I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry. I promise I won't bother you after this." Echizen Ryoma had never asked for forgiveness in his entire existence. This is one of those moments when he realizes that Sakuno had made him do something he wouldn't have normally done for anyone else. He gave her a sad smile before turning to leave. He heard it, his supposedly unbeating heart. He heard it break, almost audibly. He should leave now, to salvage what remained of his pride for he knows that any moment now tears would come streaming down his face, even if it's against every fiber of his being. He turned, forcing his legs to move when he was embraced from behind.

"Thank you." Sakuno said as she tightened her embrace on the only man that she had ever loved. Ryoma turned to face her, his eyes unbelieving as he saw Sakuno's love for him openly in her own. How did he miss that before? How could he be so dense? Without another word, Sakuno tiptoed (for he had grown quite tall) and gave the Prince of Tennis a chaste kiss on the lips. "I love you too Ryoma, I've loved you for so long. I'm glad you feel the same way now." She said as she snuggled in his embrace.

"Sakuno…"

"Yes?"

"There is only one thing that I want you to know."

"What is it?"

"I am selfish."

"And so?"

"You are mine."

Sakuno smiled and looked up to her Prince.

"I am yours."

And the Prince of Tennis had never been more true to his word. He was selfish, and still is. Sakuno is his and he, Sakuno's.


End file.
